World Cup All Stars in focus: France's Paul Pogba

Australian fans are in for a treat when Juventus’s young French dynamo Paul Pogba and the bianconeri meet our FOXTEL A-League All Stars on August 10 at ANZ Stadium.

One of the 12 World Cup players in the Juventus squad, Pogba, 21 has been a key part of a French team that’s sizzled in Brazil.

The central midfielder played 57 minutes in Les Bleurs’ 3-0 win over Honduras in their opening World Cup match in Porto Alegre.

Then, in Didier Deschamps’ side’s second match, the French were blistering in a 5-2 victory over rivals Switzerland. Pogba played as a second half substitute coming on for Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud in Salvador.

Pogba is set to play another key role for France in their final group match against Ecuador at the famous Maracana in Rio.

French great Thierry Henry had this to say about the current French national team: “We lost Franck Ribery ahead of the World Cup …. he’s an amazing player [but] there’s Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane and so on.”

Pogba is a former Manchester United player. He signed with the Red Devils from Le Harve at 16 but moved to Juventus in 2012 because he wanted regular first team football.

At the time United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believed his tyro needed patience. But after a spell on the bench behind the likes of Pirlo, Marchisio and Vidal, he racked up 27 games in Serie A in his first season.

At just 21, Pogba is a huge star in the making and now is a key man at the Italian champions.

The next World Cup may just be his. He’ll be in his absolute prime then. But before then, Aussie fans get to see him in August at ANZ Stadium with the Italian football powerhouse Juventus.

Did you know? Pogba collected the Golden Ball as France won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. By that point, Pogba had already earned his senior cap in March 2013.